Brooches - Viking Paired Styles

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Brooches - Oval.png

Oval Brooches
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Completion Rating
This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.
Completion Rating
This article's completion rating is 2 out of 5. Article structure and content is subject to change as data is still being collected.
Viking Age Compendium articles on Brooches:
VA Brooch Paired.JPG
Viking Paired Styles
Viking Age Compendium articles on Brooches:
VA Brooch Paired.JPG
Viking Paired Styles

Oval brooches [V/F]

Usually worn in pairs. The most common theory for their use was to hold up the Hangerock, a distinctive Scandinavian woman's style of dress.

Viking Age Oval brooches are larger than their Vendel precursors with typical sizes shown in the following table by Martin Rundkvist. [RUNDKVIST 2010]:p.155
Berdal. L 57–113mm
P25. L 96–103mm
P27. L 98–113mm
P37. L 96–110mm


Art
--
Literature

  • "Each woman wears on either breast a box of iron, silver, copper or gold; the value of the box indicates the wealth of the husband. Each box has a ring from which depends a knife". Ibn Fadlan's Account of the Rus.

Archaeology
An estimated 4000 are known from all over the Viking world [OWEN & DALLAND 1999]:p.68.
Discussion
Disappear in Denmark during the C10th [ROESDAHL 1982]

Berdal P11-P24

These are a transitional style between the Vendel and Viking styles.
780AD - 850AD [RUNDKVIST 2010]:p.165
[PETERSEN 1928]:p.12-22

P25/26

Petersen considered the P25 brooch to be the earliest type of Viking period oval brooch. [PETERSEN 1928]:p.24


P27/28


P37 - Gripping Beast Style [V/F]

Date: C9th
Includes Petersen types P35, P36, P38, P39
Archaeology

Discussion
P37 is the most common type found at Birka. (OWEN & DALLAND 1999, p.68). Accounts for 3 out of every 5 brooches from Norway and half of those found from the east. [EWING 2007]:p.60

Images: V2C 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d


P42/43/44


P45


P48/49


P51 - Late Oseberg Style - Double Shelled [V/F]

Date: Early C10th
Archaeology

  • All Viking Area’s: 1000 copies
  • Norway: 469 copies from 310 finds

Discussion
Most common form of brooch.
Images: VAC 118


P52/55 - Baroque Style [V/F]

Date: C10th. An eastern style that is rarely found in the west.
P52 are open work with a double shell. P55 are cheaper copies cast in one piece.
Archaeology
-- Discussion
Very common in the east, 25% of finds. Not usually found in the west. [EWING 2007]:p.60
Images

P52 Open – VAC 119, VAC 120, VAC 121
P55 Solid -


P57 - Jellinge Style [V/F]

Gotland brooches [V/F]

Animal-head

Gotland only. Sometimes found in 3’s [EWING 2007]:p.60 [ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:p.192, 300 cat.274

Drum Shaped

[ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992]:p.254 cat.104

References

Ewing, Thor (2007) Viking Clothing. Tempus. [EWING 2007] ^ 1 2 3 *
Graham-Campbell, James (ed.) (1980) Viking Artefacts, A Select Catalogue. British Museum Publications [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1980] ^ *
Owen, Olwyn, and Dalland, Magnar (1999) SCAR, A Viking Boat Burial on Sanday, Orkney. Tuckwell Press. [OWEN & DALLAND 1999] ^ *
Petersen, Jan (1928) Vikingetidens Smykker. [Viking Jewellery]. [PETERSEN 1928] ^ 1 2 3 *
Roesdahl, Else (1982) Viking Age Denmark. British Museum. [ROESDAHL 1982] ^ *
Roesdahl, Else, and Wilson, David M. (eds.) (1992) From Viking to Crusader, The Scandinavians and Europe 800-1200. Nordic Council of Ministers. [ROESDAHL & WILSON 1992] ^ 1 2 *
[RUNDKVIST 2010] ^ 1 2 *